Portable closure alarm having compensating support bracket



Aug. 30, 1966 J. A. LA BARBER PORTABLE CLOSURE ALARM HAVING GOMPENSATINGSUPPORT BRACKET Filed Nov. 9, 1965 INVENTOR. JOESPH A. LA BARBER UnitedStates Patent M 3,270,333 PQRTABLE CLOSURE ALARM HAVING COM- PENSATINGSUPPORT BRACKET Joseph A. La Barber, 1313 Maenpah Circle, Las Vegas,Nev.

Substituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 330,915,

Dec. 16, 1963. This application Nov. 9, 1965, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 340-274) The present invention relates to a portabledevice for signaling the unauthorized movement of a closure means suchas a door or window away from its mating surface, i.e., the door jamb orwindow sill. Particularly the invention proposes a novel structure forretaining the portable signaling device on the closure means and forurging a pressure operated switch, which forms part of the circuit ofthe signaling device, into engagement with the mating surface when theclosure means and its mating surface are in close proximity to eachother.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aresilient retaining means for a portable signaling device which isreadily adjustable to accommodate various widths of closure means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plateinterposed between the resilient retaining means and the signalingdevice wherein the retaining means is attached to the plate in such amanner that part of the plate and part of the retaining means aremovable relative to each other.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide atensioning spring situated between the plate and the signaling device;the tensioning spring acting to restrain relative movement between theplate and the signaling device.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a retainingand positioning means for a portable signaling device which will broadenthe application and use of the portable signaling device and which isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become obvious with abetter understanding of the device as it is described in theaccompanying specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing the device in use,

FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view of the device,

FIGURE 3 is a front housing perspective view.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view from the front with the housing removed,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a corner showing manner of securinghousing,

FIGURE 6 shows a side of the device with housing removed,

FIGURE 7 is a rear perspective view with the housing removed.

Referring to the drawing showing the preferred structure and which likenumbers represent like parts, FIG. 1 shows the interuder alarm unit 1which is flexibly mounted on the room door 5 by the clipping action ofhanger 4.

The alarm unit preferably consists of signal means 16 powered by battery13. Such signal means 16 is preferably a common electro-magnetic buzzer,however, it could be any other device for producing a signal. Connectedto item 16 by wire 17 is electrical switch 2 provided with a button.Said switch is commonly called a door switch. It is of the type whichmakes electrical contact when pres sure on the button is released. Wire12 connects the door switch to switch 7. Switch 7 is commonly called anonand-off switch. Pressing its button alternately opens and closes theelectrical circuit within it without constant pressure on the button.Wire 14 connects switch 7 to battery 13. This battery is preferably along life 1%.

3,270,333 Patented August 30, 1966 volt flashlight type. Said items 2,7, 16 and 13 are secured to rear housing 11. Such housing is formed froman electrical conductor whereby an electrical circuit is formed amongsaid items. The rear housing 11 has tab portions bent backwardly atright angles thereto for a purpose hereinafter described.

Covering said units is front housing 10 illustrated in FIG. 3. Saidhousing is secured to rear housing 11 by tab 18 of housing 10 fittinginto slot 19. Screw 8 in a corresponding orifice further secures thehousing. There may be an orifice 9 to permit sound to escape.

A plate 6, having a series of orifices 15, has two tabs cut from itsside and bent forwardly at right angles thereto to operatively engagethe tab portions cut and bent from rear housing 11. The mating tabs arebrought into engagement to form brackets 20; a shaft 23 having a spiralspring wound about it (not shown) is then threaded through the tabs ofthe brackets 20 to hingedly connect the plate 6 and the rear housing 11.The spring which functions as a tension means presses on the plate andthe housing to restrain relative movement between the housing and theplate about the hinged connection formed by brackets 20 and shaft 23.

Resilient hanger 4 is mounted on plate 6 by flanges 22 and 21 on eachside thereof. This is best shown in FIGURE 7.

The hanger and plate together are means for retaining the assembly on adoor.

Resilient hanger 4, preferably formed of spring wire material, issubstantially L-shaped when viewed from the side, with the base portionbeing adapted to hang on door 5 below door frame 3. The resilientconstruction of hanger 4 allows for limited relative movement betweenplate 6 and hanger 4 about the pivot line formed by flanges 21, 22. Thislimited relative movement accounts for the adjustability feature of thisinvention. An analysis of FIGURE 7 shows two parallel slots 24 beingprovided in the rear housing in the rear housing 11 for the leg portionsof hanger 4. These slots allow for relative movement of the base portionof hanger 4 toward and away from plate 6. As can be seen from FIGURES 1and 6 the hanger 4 will adjust to the thickness of the closure member 5by pivoting the base portion about the fulcrum line formed by flanges21, 22, either closer or further away from plate 6.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Hanger 4 is hooked over the top edge of a door whereby the unit will beinside the room. The door is closed in the usual manner. Such closingcauses the button of switch 2 to engage with the frame 3 of the door orwindow. The button remains depressed by the pressure of spiral spring23. When an intruder opens the door the button of switch 2 is releasedcompleting the circuit between buzzer 16 and battery 13 and theresulting sound of the buzzer may then both frighten the intruder andarouse the occupant of the room.

Pushing the button of switch 7 causes a break in the circuit whereby thebuzzer will not be activated by the ordinary entrance into the room. Thealarm can again be set by pushing the button of switch 7.

The device can be used on a window instead of a door. Except as noted,the entire device is made of thin metal sheet metal.

Although preferred embodiments of the device are as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that further modification and changesin the details of construction that may be resorted to will fall withinthe scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for signaling the unauthorized movement of a closuremeans away from its mating surface the combination comprising, ahousing; a signal means positioned within said housing; an energy sourcealso contained within said housing; an electrical circuitinterconnecting said energy source and said signal means, said circuithaving a pressure operated switch carried by said housing to operativelyengage and disengage said electrical source and said signal means, saidswitch extending outside of said housing and when in the operativeposition engaging the mating surface of the closure means to disengagesaid energy source and said signal means; a substantially L-shapedbracket attached on a hinge means to said housing, said bracket securingsaid housing to said closure means, said hinge means allowing relativemovement between said bracket and said housing, and tension meanspositioned on said hinged attachment between said housing and saidbracket, said tension means acting to restrain said housing againstlimited movement relative to said bracket thereby forcing said switchmeans into the mating surface of said closure means to disconnect thecircuit between said energy source and said signal means when saidhousing is on said closure means and said closure means and its matingsurface are in close proximity to each other.

2. In a device for signaling the unauthorized movement of a closuremeans away from its mating surface the combination comprising, ahousing; a signal means positioned within said housing; an energy sourcealso contained within said housing; an electrical circuitinterconnecting said energy source and said signal means, said circuithaving a pressure operated switch therein to operatively engage anddisengage said electrical source and said signal means, said switchextending outside of said housing, said switch when in the operativeposition engages the mating surface of the closure means to disengagesaid energy source and said signal means; plate means hingedly attachedto said housing; a resilient substantially L-shaped bracket attached tosaid plate means having a portion thereof for relative movement withregard to said plate means; said bracket acting to secure said housingto said closure means; and tension means positioned on said hingedattachment between said housing and said plate means, said tension meansacting to bias said housing away from said plate means and bracketthereby forcing said switch means into the mating surface of saidclosure means to disconnect the circuit between said energy source andsaid signal means when said housing is on said closure means and saidclosure means and its mating surface are in close proximity to eachother.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,012,590 12/1911Bobo 340-274 2,049,593 8/1936 Schabinger 2731.5 2,624,792 1/1953 Fruh340274 2,816,280 12/1957 Detweiler 340283 3,011,163 11/1961 Britt 3402743,165,727 1/1965 Callahan 340274 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

R. M. GOLDMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A DEVICE FOR SIGNALING THE UNAUTAHORIZED MOVEMENT OF A CLOSUREMEANS AWAY FROM ITS MATING SURFACE THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, AHOUSING; A SIGNAL MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOUSING; A SIGNAL MEANSCONTAINED WITHIN SAID HOUSING; AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INTERCONNECTINGSAID ENERGY SOURCE AND SAID SIGNAL MEANS, SAID CIRCUIT HAVING A PRESSUREOPERATED SWITCH CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING TO OPERATIVELY ENGAGE ANDDISENGAGE SAID ELECTRICAL SOURCE AND SAID SIGNAL MEANS, SAID SWITCHEXTENDING OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING AND WHEN IN THE OPERATIVE POSITIONENGAGING THE MATING SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE MEANS TO DISENGAGE SAIDENERGY SOURCE AND SAID SIGNAL MEANS; A SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED BRACKETATTACHED ON A HINGE MEANS TO SAID HOUSING, SAID BRACKET SECURING SAIDHOUSING TO SAID CLOSURE MEANS, SAID HINGE MEANS ALLOWING RELATIVEMOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BRACKET AND SAID HOUSING, AND TENSION MEANSPOSITIONED ON SAID HINGED ATTACHMENT BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAIDBRACKET, SAID TENSION MEANS ACTING TO RESTRAIN SAID HOUSING AGAINSTLIMITED MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID BRACKET THEREBY FORCING SAID SWITCHMEANS INTO THE MATING SURFACE OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS TO DISCONNECT THECIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID ENERGY SOURCE AND SAID SIGNAL MEANS WHEN SAIDHOUSING IS ON SAID CLOLSURE MEANS AND SAID CLOSURE MEANS AND ITS MATINGSURFACE ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER.